


End It

by Cyan (vehicroids)



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Look I hate tags just take it, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 09:01:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12129057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vehicroids/pseuds/Cyan
Summary: It should have been so easy, the barrel against his heart, finger on the trigger. Something was stopping Reaper, though.





	End It

Even in pouring rain, Dorado was beautiful. Colourful, vibrant, cheerful, and perhaps it was that way because it  _ had _ to be, in order to survive. That was what the old soldier believed. But Reaper long stopped caring about the words of a bitter old man, who always liked going on tangents about things no one cared about. Unfortunately, it was a habit Reaper also needed to break out of in his own head.

Reaper took his place, waiting in cover of darkness. Sombra chewed gum on the other end of his ear piece, occasionally popping it, before going back to her chatter. She knew so much about him, too much, and if she wasn't so useful to Talon, she would not be around. Reaper needed to keep that in mind.

“Just up ahead, Gabe.”   
“Stop calling me that,” he growled. He hated that name, hated hearing it from someone else.

He could almost hear Sombra wave her hand dismissively at him, rolling her eyes, and he sighed heavily, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand. The mission was simple; track down the old soldier, and kill him.

In theory, it was so simple. For someone who was in the military, he was so easy to track down, he may as well have worn a name tag. It would have been so easy, one shot to the head, and Reaper would have been free. But he had been in this situation before, and he had let the old soldier go, time and time again. He told himself, killing an old man wasn't part of the mission, but this time he  _ was _ the mission. No more excuses. No more lies about a ‘next time’ he knew would never come. No more  _ saving his life _ .

Reaper knew why it had to be him. First of all, he wouldn't have it any other way, and second of all, Akande needed to be sure Reaper was trustworthy. Words and excuses were no longer enough, and he knew this day would come. Now the day had arrived, doubt clouded his judgement momentarily. Old attachments were meaningless and disposable, just like his target.

Time for the old man was almost up, and Reaper’s mouth twisted into a smile behind his mask. Finally, he was going to do it. Shooting him from behind was too cowardly. Reaper wanted the old soldier to take one last look at him, what he had become, before ending his life.

“Move in, Gabe.”

That name again- No. Use that anger more appropriately, not to bicker with Sombra. He shifted into smoke and swooped in, appearing before the old man. He took a slow, calculated step back, unflinching. He had expected Reaper, or anyone, to come for him. His brow furrowed. Was he not scared? Did he not realise this was his end?

Anger rose to Reaper’s chest. Why was he so okay with this? Why wasn't the old man fighting him? Why was this  _ so damn easy? _ With a grunt, he brought the gun to the old man's chest, pressing the cold barrel against his heart. One pull of the trigger, and it would all be over, at long last. Reaper could almost laugh.

The old man did not try to move further away, and did not try to fight him. Instead, he brought his hand to his face, unhooked his mask and removed it, revealing his face. Neither of them were stupid, they both knew who the other was.

But Reaper still froze. It was so much easier when he hid behind that mask. Now he was forced to look into that face, those beautiful eyes and face the facts. He was not just some soldier, he was Jack Morrison. No, Reaper needed to steel himself. The only people who would care about him dying were dead themselves.

A lie Reaper told himself to make this easier.

Gabriel Reyes was still very much alive, and  _ he _ missed Jack, and  _ he _ still loved Jack so much that it hurt. Reaper was not that man anymore, he told himself, but he looked at the man he loved and realised Gabriel was still very much alive. For a moment, he felt his heart stop as Jack's eyes bore into his being. Even after all these years, Gabriel still…

Absolutely not. Reaper flinched, forcing his shaking arm to still, but it would not. What was wrong with him? This is the moment he had been waiting for, he could end it all in a moment. Gabriel was hesitating when he could not afford to.

“What are you waiting for, Reaper?” The name was spat like an insult, as Jack's eyes narrowed into a glare. He held out his arms, defenceless, eyes trained on him. “Kill me.”

Gabriel’s finger was on the trigger, all he needed to do was squeeze, then finally, Jack would die. Reaper could return to Akande, his mission complete, and continue in Talon without second guessing himself. It sounded so easy because it should have been so easy, but he was complicating things in his mind.

Gabriel looked into those faded blue eyes and saw everything, all of Jack that he had laid bare before him in their over thirty years of knowing each other. All those memories they had made together, all those years coursing through his mind. In Jack's eyes, he could see that old farm boy, he could see the strike commander, he could see the love for Gabriel still so strong, even after all these years.

Gabriel lowered the shotgun. No matter what, he could not kill his golden boy. Jack made no movements, watching him carefully, silent. Gabriel let go of his guns, dropping with a clack, stepping forward to close the gap between them, and pulled Jack into a hug.

He let out a deep shudder as Jack wrapped his arms around Gabriel, holding him tightly. This wasn't meant to mean anything, but Gabriel would be lying if he said this didn't mean the world to him. He hated how Jack's hugs were still so warm, and he felt so safe, and it felt like coming home after a long day.

Shit, with Jack, he was home.

Gabriel was furious with himself. He had a mission to complete, and this was the worst thing he could do, but he couldn't let go. Jack always liked to overcomplicate things, and he always knew how to break Gabriel. No matter how many years pass, Jack was still his biggest weakness. Gabriel should have hated him for that.

They stood for an eternity in the heavy rain, soaking both of them to the bone, but Gabriel could barely feel it. All he wanted was to be held by Jack for as long as possible, before anyone grew suspicious. This was a mistake, it was stupid, and Gabriel was just making it harder and harder to bring himself to kill Jack.

He could laugh at that. Did he ever have the intention to kill Jack, or was he just trying to show off? When it came down to it, every time, Gabriel let him go. And he knew why he couldn't do it, but the problem was, Jack also knew why. He felt Jack let out a huge sigh, like the weight of the world had been pulled out of him.

Jack was the one to break the silence. “I still love you.”

Why did things have to be this way? They didn't have to be. Gabriel could quit Talon, go back to Jack, help him, and they-- No. That was stupid, unrealistic. He had made his choice, and Jack had made his choice. And though Gabriel could still say he loved him, what would that achieve?

He could see it already. Jack grabbing his hands, impulse flashing in his eyes as he tells Gabriel they could run away together. All those pretty little dreams that they could never realise, because their time was simply over. That reality would kill them more than a bullet would. Gabriel had to go, now, before the beautiful lies tempted him.

Reaper vanished in a cloud of smoke once again, leaving the old soldier alive, as he always did. From a distance, he watched the man's shoulders sink, before putting his mask back on. Reaper was right to go, before it hurt them both too much. His earpiece crackled, like interference, before he heard Sombra again.

“Tsk tsk,” Sombra tutted into his ear. “Looks like we lost signal back there. I guess the boss won't be getting any details, hm?”

Reaper had forgotten about Sombra. How long had she been watching for? Assuming she was even watching. Ugh. No one needed to see that moment of weakness, especially not her of all people.

“Lemme guess. Next time, right? I'm telling you, the boss is getting really impatient.”   
“Let him wait. I will have my kill my way.”

And if that meant Jack Morrison would never die, then so be it.

**Author's Note:**

> I... look. Ever been on a 4-hour train? Just take it, I don't have any explanation.


End file.
